Apparatus for cleaning textile machines and the floors therebeneath



Nov. 3, 1959 LONG 2,910,719

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES AND THE FLOORS THEREBENEATHOriginal Flled Sept. 11, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIMER INVENTOR. JOHN R.Lows.

Nov. 3, 1959 J LONG 2,910,719

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES AND THE FLOORS THEREBENEATHOriginal Filed Sept. 11. 1952 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN R Lone, INVENTOR.

NOV. 3, 1959 J. LONG 2,910,719

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES AND THE FLOORS THEREBENEATHOriginal Filed Sept. 11, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W23 IL llll'll ll/I(/JE-YRYUYRA/ A 53 f 5o 52 JOHN P. LoNG. INVENTOR.

\ 'W if United States PatentO i APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINESAND THE FLOORS THEREBENEATH John R. Long, Hickory, N.C., assignor toParks-Cramer (ifmpany, Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation of Massac usettsOriginal application September 11, 1952, Serial No. 309,062, now PatentNo. 2,844,495, dated July 22, p 1958. Divided and this application May20, 1955, Se-

rial No. 509,847

6 Claims. (Cl. -316) This invention relates to apparatus for cleaningtextile 1 machines such as spinning, twisting and drafting machines andfor cleaning the floors beneath said machines.

As is well known, in the manufacturing process of making threads andyarns of textile fibres which includes the cleaning and blending of thefibres and then the drawing thereof in various operations to formendless rope-like ing said machines free from accumulation of lint orfly and also for cleaning the floors beneath said machines for keepingthe same free from lint and fly.

This invention is particularly adapted for use with textile machines ofthe open frame type such as spinning frames, twister frames, winders andthe like. Heretofore, some means have been provided to clean lint andfly from various parts of textile machines but said means have not beenentirely effective and the problem of cleaning the floors has not beensolved. Accumulations of fly and lint have generally been cleaned fromthe floor by manual sweepers moving between the machines with brooms andthe like and in this cleaning process lint and fly and other foreignmatter is stirred up and is caused to settle on various operating partsof the machine and may become embedded in the yarn or roving beingprocessed which will result in defects in the finished product. Further,ac-

' cumulations of lint and fly and the like on the various parts of themachine frequently result in slow operation of some of the parts of themachine thus preventing uniformity in the roving or yarn being processedthereby.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved means ofsimplified and economical construction which may be utilized inassociation with a textile machine of the open frame type for cleaningthe working parts of the machine and which means may also be utilizedfor directing a plurality of blasts of compressed air across the floorsupporting said machine to set up currents of air along said floor tofree the same from accumulations of lint and the like.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide rotarypneumatic means in duplicate for each of said textile machines. An upperrotary pneumatic means is positioned adjacent the upper part of thetextile machine and is designed to rotate to direct blasts of compressedair toward adjacent parts of the machine to free the same fromaccumulations of lint and the like. A second rotary means is positionedadjacent the lowermostportion "of each textile machine and is adapted torotate to direct blasts of compressed air against the adjacent lowermostwhich the machine is supported. This lowermost clean- Patented Nov. 3,1959 ing means is adapted to set up currents of air flowing along thefloor of the room in which the textile machines are disposed to free thesame from any accumulation of lint or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for cleaningtextile machines and floors therebeneath which means may be operatedintermittently in predetermined timed relationship to achieve themaximum cleaning results.

This application is a division of application, Serial Number 309,062,entitled, Method for Cleaning Textile Machines and the FloorsTherebeneath, filed on September 11, 1952 which is now Patent No.2,844,495.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear asthe description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in whicht Figure 1 is a plan view of a roomshowing an embodiment of the invention somewhat schematically and wherein a plurailty of textile machines such as spinning frames and the likeare shown in broken lines in a row;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view with parts omitted forpurposes of clarity, looking along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation looking at the righthand end of Figure1 along the line 33 and showing one of said textile machines;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Figure 3through the right-hand end of the machine and illustrating the drivingmeans for the cleaning apparatus;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the upper cleaningmeans showing the same disassociated from the spinning frame;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the lefthand portion ofFigure 6, with pants in section, and illustrating the packing glandrotatably supporting the rotary cleaning means.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 designates aroom having a floor F on which a plurality of textile machines arearranged in rows. For purposes of illustration there are shown textilemachines in the form of spinning frames 11, 12, 13 and 14. It is to beunderstood that this invention is not limited to spinning frames but maybe used on any type of open frame textile machines such as twisters,warpers and the like. Such machines are usually arranged in rows in aroom of a plant or mill and for purposes of illustration only four ofsuch machines are shown, it being understood that any desired number ofmachines may be arranged in a row and any desired number of rows may beutilized.

Each of the spinning frames shown is of identical construction andincludes end frame embers 20 and 21 and a plurality of intermediateSamsons 22 and a creel 23 adapted to support spools of yarn to beprocessed. Bolster rails 24 extend longitudinally of the machine andsupport a plurality of bobbins '26 which extend upwardly through ringrails 27 and to which yarn Y is directed from the creel 23 in aconventional manner. Suitable drive means, not shown, are disposedwithin a gear housing 30 and drive a conventional drive shaft 5'1 havinga main drive cylinder 32 fixed thereon. A builder motion shaft 33extends from the housing 30'and this conventional building shaft 33 isutilized for operating the present invention in a manner to bedescribed. Conventional roll stands 34 are also provided having aplurality of rolls through which the yarn Y is passed in itscourse oftravel from the spools to the bobbins 26'.

The parts heretofore described are conventional audit is with a machineof this type or of a similar type that the present invention is adaptedto be used. The cleaning means associated with textile machine 14 willbe described and like reference characters will apply to the cleaningadded to those parts associated with the lower cleaning means 40. Theupper cleaning means 40 includes a longitudinally extending rotary pipe4d having one end thereof rotatably mounted in a packing gland 42 whichis threadably secured on an elbow 43 connected to a vertically extendingpipe 44. The lower end of the pipe 44- is mounted in one branch of a Tpipe 45 which is connected at its stem to a pipe 46 which is connectedto a solenoid valve 47 which has a pipe 48 extending from the other sidethereof to a suitable source of compressed air, not shown.

The packing gland 42 has a bore 50 therein in which one end of the pipe41 is rotatably mounted. The gland 42 also has a counterbore 51 thereincommunicating with the bore 50 and which is adapted to receive suitablepacking material 52 which is held in place by a sleeve type washer 3secured to the gland 42 as by screws 54 slidably penetrating the flangeof the sleeve type washer 53 and being threadably mounted in the gland42. It will thus be observed that the pipe 41 is free for rotationwithout the escape of air therefrom at the rotary connection.

The pipe 41 extends longitudinally of the machine and is suitablymounted at various spaced points intermediate its ends by a plurality ofbearing members 55 suitably secured to the Samsons 22 as by bolts 56.The bearings 55, as illustrated, are wooden members having a concaveportion at the lower end thereof in which the pipe 41 is rotatablymounted. It is to be understood that any suitable bearings or bearingstands may be utilized.

The pipe 41 is retained against longitudinal sliding movement in thebearings 55 as by collars 60 and 61 suitably secured to the pipe 41 oneach side of .each bearing 55 as by set screws 62. The end of the pipe41 remote from the packing gland 42 is closed as by cap member 65. Asprocket 66 is fixed 011 the pipe 41 as by a set screw 67 penetratingthe hub thereof and a sprocket chain 68 is positioned around thesprocket wheel 66 and extends downwardly and around a sprocket wheel 70mounted on the builder motion shaft 33. The sprocket chain 68 alsoextends around a sprocket 66 mounted on the pipe 41 which is identicalto the sprocket 66. It will thus be observed that motion imparted to thebuilder motion shaft 33 by the conventional driving mechanism disposedwithin the gear housing 3:) will impart rotary motion to the pipes 41and 41' through the sprocket chain 68 and the sprocket wheels 66, 66'.The pipes 41 and 41 will thus rotate continuously during the operationof the machine.

The pipe 41 is provided with a plurality of nozzles in the form of shortpipes 72 threadably mounted in threaded bores '73 spaced longitudinallyalong the pipe 41, said bores 73 preferably extending in longitudinalalinement.

While the pipe 41 are rotating continuously compressed air is introducedthereto intermittently by means of the pipe 18 and is controlled bymeans of the valve 47. Suitable wires 75 and 76 extend from the solenoidvalve 47 to a timer 77 which electrically interconnects the solenoidvalves 47 of all of the textile machines to permit predetermined timedoperation of the same. ably connected to a source of electrical energy,notshown.

A pipe 80 connects the T pipe 45 with the elbow 43 of the lower cleaningmeans 40-. It will thus be observed that as the pipes 41 and 41'continuously rotate, air is introduced thereto by the pipe 46 and thepipes 44 and 80 and is controlled by the solenoid valve 47. The timerThe timer is suit- 1 4 may be of any conventional or desiredconstruction and is for the purpose of making and breaking electricalcircuits to the solenoid valves 47 so that compressed air may beintroduced to the cleaning means for one of said machines and then cutoff and introduced to the cleaning means for the second machine.

During operation, compressed air is admitted to the cleaning means forthe machine 11 for a predetermined period of time which will cause thesame to be emitted from the nozzles 72 of the upper and lower cleaningmeans so that air will be directed against adjacent parts of themachine. Air emitted from the nozzles 72 of the lower cleaning meanswill be directed backwardly or to the left in Figure 1 during the cycleof rotation of the pipe 41 and will then be directed downwardly alongthe floor and to the right in Figure 1 and the compressed air should beunder sufficient pressure to cause the same to blow along the floorbeneath machines 12 and 13.

Any 'lint which might be collected adjacent the lefthand wall of theroom 10 in Figure 1 could be collected manually or by any other desiredmeans. Afterthe cleaning means associated with machine 11 has beenoperated for the desired length of time, the timer will cause the valve47 associated with the machine 11 to close and the valve 47 associatedwith the machine 12 to open to permit compressed air to be introduced tothe cleaning means associated with machine 12. The cleaning meansassociated with machine 12 will then direct air outwardly againstadjacent parts of the machine and downwardly toward the floor beneathsaid machine. Some of the air will be directed backwardly or to the leftin Figure 1 but since this area will have previously been cleaned noadverse results will be encountered. The air will then set up currentsflowing in the direction of the arrows in Figure l beneath the othermachines in the rows. By following these steps air will be introduced tothe succeeding machines in timed relation to help set up currents of airflowing across the floor of the room to keep the same free fromaccumulations of lint, fly and the like.

It is thus seen that I have provided apparatus for cleaning textilemachines which comprises introducing a plurality of blasts of compressedair toward adjacent parts of the machines and directing some of saidblasts of air downwardly and outwardly beneath said machines to set upcurrents of air flowing along the floor beneath said machines to freethe same from accumulations of lint and the like.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. Means for sweeping the floor of a room having a plurality of rows ofopen-type machines therein with streams of air to move loose materialacross said floor, said means comprising a rotary blower pipe rotatablymounted on the lower portion of each of said machines adjacent the floorin each of said rows, means for introducing air under pressure to eachof said pipes, each of said pipes having spaced openings for directingrotary streams of compressed air outwardly from each machine along thefloor beneath said machines, the air having sufficient force to sweepthe floor beneath said machines in one row and the machines in at leastone adjacent row, means for rotating said rotary blower pipes, and timermeans for actuating the flow of air from the blower pipes for themachines in each row in successive timed relationship.

2. Means for pneumatically cleaning the floor of a room having aplurality of elongated machines therein wherein said machines are spacedin rows across said room, said means comprising a longitudinallyextending rotary pipe mounted on the lowermost portion of each of saidmachines adjacent the floor, means for introducing air under pressure toeach of said pipes, each of said pipes having spaced openings fordirecting streams of air outwardly along the floor beneath saidmachines, saidcompressed air emitted from each of the rotary pipes beingof sufficient force to sweep the floor beneath said machines and beneathat least one adjacent machine in the adjacent row, and means forrotating each of said rotary pipes.

3. Means for pneumatically cleaning the floor of a room having aplurality of elongated machines therein wherein said machines are spacedin rows across said room said means comprising a longitudinallyextending rotary pipe mounted on the lowermost portion of each of saidmachines adjacent the floor, means for introducing air under pressure toeach of said pipes, each of said pipes having spaced openings fordirecting streams of air outwardly along the floor beneath saidmachines, said com-' pressed air emitted from the openings of eachof'the rotary pipes being of sufi'icient force to sweep the floorbeneath said machines and at least one adjacent machine, means forrotating each of said rotary pipes, and timer means for successivelyactuating the flow of air from each of said pipes in timed relationship.

4. Means for cleaning the floor of a room having a plurality ofelongated textile machines therein and for cleaning said machineswherein said machines are spaced to form at least one row across saidroom, said means comprising an upper blower means for each of saidmachines including an upper pipe extending longitudinally of each ofsaid machines, means for directing air under pressure to each of saidupper pipes, said upper pipes being rotatable and being provided with aplurality of spaced openings for directing air outwardly therefromtoward adjacent parts of said machines, a lower blower means positonedadjacent the lower portion of each of said machines adjacent the floorincluding a lower pipe extending longitudinally of each of said machinesand being provided with a plurality of spaced openings, means fordirecting air under pressure to said lower pipes to permit the same tobe emitted from the openings thereof, some of the air emitted from saidopenings of said lower pipes being directed outwardly from said machinesand having sufficient force to sweep the floor beneath said machines andat least one adjacent machine and the aisle therebetween, means forrotating said upper and lower pipes, valve means associated with saidmeans for introducing air under pressure to said upper and lower pipesand timer means connected to said valve means for cutting off the flowof air to said upper and lower pipes.

5. Means for pneumatically cleaning the floor of a room having aplurality of elongated textile machines therein and for cleaning saidmachines wherein said machines are spaced to form at least one rowacross said room, said means for each machine comprising an upper and alower longitudinally extending pipe, means rotatably mounting each ofsaid upper pipes in the upper central portion of each of said machines,means for rotatably mounting each of said lower pipes in the lowermostportion of each of said machines adjacent said floor, each of said pipesbeing closed at one of their ends, an air source pipe, common meansconnecting said air source pipe with the open ends of said upper andlower pipes, each of said upper and lower pipes having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced bores therein, nozzles fitted in each of saidbores, means for rotating said upper and lower pipes, and means forintroducing compressed air to said air source pipe, whereby air emittedfrom said nozzles on each of said upper pipes during rotation thereofwill be directed toward adjacent parts of the machines to free the samefrom lint and the like and the air emitted from the nozzles of the lowerpipes during their rotation being directed outwardly from beneath saidmachines and having sufficient force to sweep the floor beneath saidmachines and at least one adjacent machine and the aisle therebetween.

6. Means for cleaning the floor of a room having a plurality ofelongated textile machines therein and for cleaning said machines,wherein said machines are spacedto form at least one row across saidroom, said means for each machine comprising an upper and a lowerlongitudinally extending pipe, means rotatably mounting each of saidupper pipes in the upper central portion of said machines, means forrotatably mounting each of said lower pipes in the lowermost portion ofsaid machines adjacent said floor, each of said pipes being closed atone of their ends, an air source pipe, common means connecting said airsource pipe with the open ends of said upper and lower pipes, each ofsaid upper and lower pipes having a plurality of longitudinally spacedbores therein, nozzles fitted in each of said bores, means for rotatingsaid upper and lower pipes, means for introducing compressed air to saidair source pipe, valve means in said air source pipe for each machine,and timer means for actuating each of said valve means in predeterminedintermittent timed relationship, whereby air emitted from. said nozzleson each of said upper pipes during rotation thereof will be directedtoward adjacent parts of each machine to free the same from lint and thelike and the air emitted from the nozzles of the lower pipes duringtheir rotation will sweep the floor beneath the machine, the force ofthe air being sufiicient to create air currents along the floor beneathsaid machines and at least one adjacent machine and the aisletherebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,416,553 Garland May 16, 1922 1,982,997 Linder Dec. 4, 1934 2,516,475Miller et a1. July 25, 1950 2,553,044 Howse May 15, 1951 2,677,629 BuckMay 4, 1954 2,758,041 Denning Aug. 7, 1956

